The present disclosure relates generally to non-woven flame-retardant material. In particular, the disclosure relates to non-woven flame-retardant material that meets the UL94 V-0 (2013) flammability standard. The disclosure also relates to non-woven flame-retardant material that meets the ASTM E84-14 (2014) flammability standard. The disclosure also relates to a method of making the material and a method of making an article material.
Flammability standards exist for many products, such as, for example, clothing, bedding, building materials, vehicle parts, and appliances. Various solutions to fire retardancy may be taken. For example, in some applications, such as vehicles, including heavy equipment, and commercial and residential appliances, fiberglass, with or without a binder, often is used. In other applications, a combination of fibers may be used. For example, one solution is to combine low-denier charring fiber with higher-denier binding fiber to meet federal flammability standards for bedding.
Many liners or panels for application to vehicles are well known in the art. Typically, these liners are intended to both absorb sound and protect nearby structures and occupants of the vehicle from heat and flame. Further, to serve as a hood liner, a dash liner, a firewall liner, or a heat shield such as in the vicinity of a transmission, a muffler, or catalytic converter, vehicle manufacturers typically require that such a liner or panel be flame retardant. Thus, sound attenuation, thermal shielding, and flame retardancy are important properties for such liners or panels.
One popular form of such panels includes a laminate incorporating (a) one or more layers to provide the desired acoustical and thermal insulating properties and (b) one or more additional layers to provide the desired mechanical strength. However, lamination may require adhesives, which may tend to fail or delaminate over time. Further, many liners and insulators are subjected to water and aqueous salt slurries from the surface of the roadways. Many such panels do not hold their shape when wet, hot, or aged.
Materials often used for such panels comprise fiberglass and melamine polyurethane foam. However, fiberglass may present some issues with regard to handling and molding.
Articles comprising materials of the disclosure also may be used in, for example, interiors of buildings. Panels that are flame-retardant have many uses in interior applications. In particular, panels that retain their shape may be more convenient to use than, for example, fiberglass batts or similar materials.
Therefore, there exists a need for a thermoformable material that meets industry-standard tests for flame-retardant performance and maintains shape under typical conditions of use. Such a material may be suitable for use as a liner in the high temperature operating environment in various locations on a vehicle, including heavy equipment, and may serve not only to protect surrounding equipment and passengers from high temperature and flame, but also may serve to attenuate sound. The material also may be suitable for interiors of buildings, in commercial and household appliances, and in other locations in which fiberglass typically is used.